The British 11th Destroyer Flotilla, or Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, was a
naval formation of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
from August 1915 to September 1945.
History
World War One
The 11th Destroyer Flotilla was formed in August 1915 and was assigned to the Grand Fleet. It took part in the
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland () was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, durin ...
, and then remained with Grand Fleet until November 1918. Initially the formation consisted of sixteen
M class destroyers, some of which were replaced by
R class destroyers. For most of 1918 the flotilla was mainly using
V and W-class destroyers. The flotilla was disbanded in March 1919, but was briefly reformed during the
Interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
.
Interwar period
The flotilla was briefly reformed from 1 July 1935 to 30 August 1935 under the command of Captain
Ernest R. Archer (later Vice-Admiral).
Second World War
The flotilla was reformed in 1939 and was attached to the
Plymouth Command until 1940 when its ships were dispersed among various escort groups. It was re-established again in August 1942 as part of the
Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...
until January 1943. It was reassigned to the Indian Ocean area as part of the Battle Fleet of the
Eastern Fleet
Eastern or Easterns may refer to:
Transportation
Airlines
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
until September 1945.
Administration
Captains (D) afloat 11th Destroyer Flotilla
Incomplete list of post holders included:
Composition
Included:
,
Plymouth Command September 1939
11th Destroyer Flotilla
* (leader)
Division 21
*
*
*
*
*
HMS ''Winchlsea''
Division 22
*
*
*
*
References
Sources
* Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. (2018) "Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) – The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 29 May 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
* Kindell, Don. (2012) "ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, SEPTEMBER 1939". naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
* Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900–1914". www.naval-history.net. G. Smith.
* Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1919–1938". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
* Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939–1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
* Willmott, H. P. (2009). The Last Century of Sea Power, Volume 1: From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894–1922. Bloomington, IN, USA: Indiana University Press. .
{{Destroyer flotillas of the Royal Navy, state=collapsed
Destroyer flotillas of the Royal Navy
Military units and formations established in 1915
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
Military units and formations established in 1935
Military units and formations disestablished in 1935
Military units and formations established in 1939
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945